Laurence Thursting

Wisden Obituary
Thursting, Laurence Denis, died in Leicester on November 15, 2001, aged 86. He joined Leicestershire in 1938 from the Lord's groundstaff to bowl left-arm spin, but it was his batting that ensured he was something of a regular that season. When offered the chance to open with Les Berry in the recurring absence of the county captain Stewart Dempster, himself a stand-in opener for the injured Fred Prentice, Thursting immediately showed the temperament for the job. His 94 in the second innings at Edgbaston occupied four and a quarter hours, saved Leicestershire from defeat, and remained his highest score. But his bowling failed to meet expectations and he received fewer opportunities in 1939. One post-war match against Yorkshire in 1947 left him with figures of 882 runs at 25.20 and 13 wickets at 50.76 from 29 games.
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack